5 months ago
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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, on with a radical of Ministers and legislators, attended a meal hosted by elder Minister Satish Jarkiholi successful Belagavi connected December 18, authoritative sources said.
The meal gathering was held astatine the residence of Mr. Jarkiholi, who is considered adjacent to Mr. Siddaramaiah. It has sparked caller speculation amid the ongoing powerfulness tussle wrong the ruling Congress implicit the CM’s post.
According to sources, Ministers G. Parameshwara, H. C. Mahadevappa, B. Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan, M. C. Sudhakar, and legislators A. S. Ponnanna and Naseer Ahmed were among those who attended the dinner.
The gathering followed a meal connected the nighttime of December 17 wherever Mr. Jarkiholi hosted implicit 30 ‘like-minded’ legislators astatine a edifice successful Belagavi. While Mr. Siddaramaiah had skipped it, his lad and MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah, confidant and MLA K. N. Rajanna, were among those present.
Responding to a question from reporters regarding the meal meet, Deputy CM D. K. Shivakumar connected December 19 said, "What's incorrect successful gathering for dinner? Let them person dinner. It's a bully thing. Can we accidental don't person dinner?"
When pointed retired that lone immoderate radical were contiguous astatine the meeting, Mr. Shivakumar replied, "Why should I remark connected it? They met implicit dinner. We person each travel from different places (to Belagavi for the wintertime league of the Karnataka legislature). What's incorrect if everyone meets (over dinner)?"
Mr. Jarkiholi, who hosted the dinner, said determination is thing caller successful it, and it volition hap successful the aboriginal too.
"Yes, determination was a meal gathering connected December 18. The Chief Minister and elder Ministers had turned up. This is not the archetypal clip it is happening, it has happened successful Bengaluru, and keeps happening successful Belagavi. It volition support happening successful the aboriginal too. There is thing caller oregon immoderate authorities successful this,” helium said.
Rejecting claims that Mr. Siddaramaiah is the ‘outgoing CM', Mr. Jarkiholi said, "The Chief Minister has stated successful the Assembly that his word is for 5 years."
Asked astir Mr. Shivakumar not being invited for the dinner, helium said, "He excessively volition beryllium invited."
MLA A.S. Ponnanna, who is besides the CM's ineligible advisor, said authorities was not discussed astatine the meeting, and the CM near soon aft having immoderate soup, arsenic helium had immoderate wellness issues.
"The meal was precocious arsenic determination was a Cabinet gathering earlier successful the evening... There was nary governmental discussion. He (CM) lone said that everyone should absorption connected strengthening the enactment aft the session. There was thing else. Seven-eight of america were there," helium said
The meal meetings travel a week aft implicit 30 Congress legislators, including immoderate Ministers, met for meal on with Mr. Shivakumar, connected the outskirts of Belagavi.
While immoderate attendees dismissed the meetings arsenic ‘casual dinners’ during the ongoing wintertime league of the State legislature, others suggested that governmental developments successful the State were discussed.
The powerfulness tussle wrong the ruling enactment has intensified amid speculations astir a alteration successful main curate successful the State aft the Congress authorities reached the halfway people of its five-year word connected November 20. The speculation was fuelled by rumours of a ‘power-sharing’ pact betwixt Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Shivakumar successful 2023.
However, some the CM and Deputy CM had precocious held meal meetings astatine each other's residences, connected the instructions of the precocious command, which was seen arsenic a determination to intermission the enactment tussle betwixt the 2 and to awesome Mr. Siddaramaiah's continuation arsenic the CM for the clip being, keeping successful caput the wintertime league of the legislature successful Belagavi from December 8.
The wintertime league of the legislature is scheduled to reason connected December 19.
